Fennel, Citrus, and Olive Salad

a simple, vegan winter salad with bold, bright flavors

a simple, vegan winter salad with bold, bright flavors

Fennel, Olive, and Citrus Salad Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 1 bulb fennel, outer layer removed and discarded

  • 2 medium sized oranges (I like pink cara cara oranges but you can use any)

  • 1 Meyer lemon (if you can’t find one substitute 1/2 an orange)

  • 1/4 red onion

  • 1 dozen Castelvetrano olives (the big, green meaty kind)

  • 1/4 cup parsley leaves, plucked from their stems

  • 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 tsp. white wine vinegar or unsweetened rice wine vinegar

  • Flaky sea salt

  • Ground pepper

Instructions:

  1. Prepare citrus by cutting it into suprêmes (segmenting). You will basically be cutting away all the rind and pith (white stuff), leaving you with juicy wedges of citrus. With a very sharp knife, cut the ends off the citrus. Setting the fruit on a flat side, work the knife around the outside contour of the fruit to remove all of rind, white underlayer included (it’s bitter!). It may take a few passes to remove all the stray white bits, but a few stragglers won’t hurt. Next, hold the orange in your hand and, using a sharp paring knife, cut along the membrane toward the center of the fruit, and then repeat with the adjacent membrane until your knife cuts meet in a wedge shape and you have successfully freed your first suprême! Repeat until you have removed all the segments. Cut the Meyer lemon segments into smaller halves (they are more acidic so smaller bites are nicer). Squeeze the remaining membrane into a small bowl to remove all the juice.

  2. Slice the fennel and onions super thin with a mandoline or sharp knife (I use this mandoline). If raw onions are too strong for you, soak in cold water for a half hour or so, then pat them dry. Or substitute chives.

  3. Make a quick dressing: Whisk together 2 TBS olive oil, 2 TBS reserved citrus juice, and 1 tsp. vinegar. Add a good pinch of sea salt and a few cranks of pepper.

  4. In a medium bowl toss together fennel, citrus, onions, olives, and parsley leaves, adding as much dressing as you like. Serve right away with a little flaky salt and pepper on top.